Falling strand devolatilization apparatus

Claim 1

An improved falling strand devolatilizer apparatus comprising: A. a vessel adapted for use as a flash chamber in devolatilization, said vessel having an upper portion, a middle portion and a lower portion, each such portion being generally symmetrically positioned about a central axis which is vertically oriented, 1. said lower portion being generally conical in cross-section and terminating in a fluid material discharge orifice, 2. said middle portion being generally cylindrical in cross-section, 3. said upper portion having a relatively large axially located material input orifice and further having a relatively small, circumferentially located, gaseous material exhaust port means, 4. said vessel having its walls generally circumscribed by heat exchange means adapted to heat said walls to a predetermined temperature during operation of said apparatus, B. a shell and tube heat exchanger means having vertical tube members is spaced, parallel relationship to one another all enclosed and mounted generally within a shell member, 1. said shell member having heat exchange fluid input and output ports therein, 2. each of said tube members having a length of from about 2 to 8 feet, an average inside diameter which is generally constant with respect to said length thereof and which ranges from about 0.5 to 1.5 inches, and a ratio of said length to said diameter ranging from about 30 to 80, 3. said shell and tube heat exchanger means being mounted in gas-tight relationship generally transversely across said material input orifice of said vessel with said tube members generally parallel to said central axis, said shell and tube heat exchanger extending down into said upper and middle portions of said vessel defining an annular manifold zone with said middle zone of said vessel to collect and direct devolatilized vapors out of said exhaust port, C. bonnet means for said heat shell and tube heat exchanger means mounted over the exterior, upper end portions of said tube members and adapted to distribute said material as an input process fluid uniformly over said upper end portions from a material input port means coaxially located in a top section of said bonnet, D. first pump means with associated conduit means functionally interconnected with said material input port means of said bonnet and adapted to supply said input material as heated, viscous material at a predetermined pressure into said bonnet, and E. second pump means with associated conduit means functionally interconnected with said gaseous material exhaust port means in said vessel and adapted to evacuate and maintain the interior of said vessel at a predetermined low pressure.